


Of Barbers and Books

by BarPurple



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV), The Legend of Barney Thomson (2015)
Genre: Crossover Pairings, F/M, First Meetings, Pining, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-29
Updated: 2017-01-29
Packaged: 2018-09-20 18:38:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9506147
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BarPurple/pseuds/BarPurple
Summary: After finding out his mother was the infamous Body Parts Killer, and all of those wee accidents you might have thought Fate was finished with Barney Thomson. You'd be very wrong.





	

_Fate had a fondness for Glasgow; it was a strange city full of contradictions. It was also the home of her latest favourite._

Local celebrity Barney Thomson stood outside the barber’s shop, his arms crossed over his chest as he perused the street. It was busy inside; it was always busy these days. The fame of not dying at the hands of a serial killer hadn’t waned away. He didn’t banter about it, that wasn’t his style, but the new barbers would lean in and mutter the gossip in the customer’s ears.

“Our Barney was bloody lucky, that Body Parts Killer had it in for barbers.”

He’d just smile faintly and get on with his job, maybe nodding to acknowledge the surprised look on the punter’s face, knowing all the while that the looks would be a damn sight more than surprised if any of them every knew the truth. Not that they would ever hear that from him, he didn’t want to go to jail, although he did sometimes wonder if business would be even better if the punters knew just how close he’d been to the killer.

_Fate smiled softly every time she heard a comment about Barney’s brush with the Body Parts Killer. As with anything that looked effortlessly random it had taken a lot of work to set up the chain of events that led to Barney being alive and free. She wasn’t sure why she’d developed such a liking for the angry, down-trodden, hapless barber; he was hardly unique, she could find a dozen more just like him on this street alone, but there was something intriguing about him._

In recent weeks Barney had started taking this quick breather at this time of day, he told himself it was a good time to take a quick break, but deep down in his twisted soul he knew that the real reason was the new book shop across the way that lured him outside at ten to eleven each morning. He wasn’t a big reader, but the bookshop had caught his eye, well the petite brunette who worked from eleven to five had caught his eye. 

Alright, fine, he would admit it to himself if not out loud, this was his daily break to looking longingly at the little bookshop worker. He knew he should stop, he was at least ten years older than her, probably closer to fifteen, so he was nothing better than an dirty old man, but that cheery smile and little wave she gave him each day as she tottered up the street on her impossible high heels warmed his heart. As casually as he could he glanced at his watch, she’d be rounding the corner any minute now.

_Fate took a long steady inhale, it was almost show time. It had taken two lost application forms, three emails, and the recommendation of a friend to get the position filled at the new bookshop by the right person. Just this morning she’d had to knock over a bowl of cereal and inspire a text message to get the next player into place. The slow burn of anticipation was thrilling. Fate pursed her lips and blew out the breath she’d been holding, a gentle breeze rippled down the street unseen and unfelt by anyone, but…_

Barney shivered, an oddly familiar feeling made the skin on the back of his neck crawl. He’d not felt that sensation in months not since he’d been sort of fired, but now the flesh creeping sensation was back along with the cold sweat breaking out on his body. He looked around nervously, someone, or something was watching him again. His frantic scanning of the street ended as the wee lassie from the bookshop rounded the corner. His jaw dropped as a little scrote loitering by the wall stepped up and snatched her bag from her shoulder. God bless her, the lassie tried to fight him and got shoved to the pavement for her trouble.

He had no idea what possessed him, but as the bag snatcher ran by Barney stuck his foot out and tripped him. The kid went sprawling on the pavement, swearing as he landed.

“What the feck do yer think yer doing, yer wanker?”

Barney’s temper snapped, he took two steps toward the little git so he could tower over him.

“What the fuck do yer think yer doin’, ya wee gobshite? I know yer Pa, ya want me to be tellin’ him what his darlin’ sonnie boy is up ta when he should be in school?”

The lad looked ready to shit himself when he pushed his floppy hair out of his eyes and saw who tripped him.

“Sorry, sorry Mr Thomson.”

The kid scrabbled around the floor gathering up the spilled contents of the fallen handbag. He was still in a half crouch when he offered the bag to Barney, who snatched it from his hand and sent the wee bugger on his way with a snarl and a raised hand. Barney missed the kid flipping the vees at him from a safe distance because he was already trotting along the street to the corner where the wee lassie was picking herself up and dusting herself down.

_Fate twitched her fingers, so far everything was running according to plan, but nothing was entirely certain at moments like this, humans could be such fickle creatures._

Barney gulped as he reached the wee lassie, he’d never been close enough to her to tell the colour of her eyes before, now he was drowning in an ocean of perfect blue, and the feck had he become a poet? He kicked himself into gear and held out her handbag for her. She cocked her head to one side and gave him a little smile before he realised that he’d offered her the wrong hand; her bag was still clutched to his chest and his empty hand was stuck out in mind-air as if waiting for a handshake. He was mucking this up and he hadn’t even spoken to her yet. He tried to think of what to say, something smooth, but not slimy, the only thing coming to mind was ‘Hello’. It didn’t matter she beat him to it.

“Hello. Thank you for your help.”

She took hold of his hand and Barney gasped as a shock of something, something good, ran through him. Judging by the way her eyes widened she’d felt it too. They stood holding hands, staring at each other for a long moment until a car horn broke the spell around them. He reluctantly pulled his hand back and stammered; “I’m Barney, are you alright Miss?”

“I’m Belle, and I’m okay, could have been worse.”

This time he managed to give her, Belle, the handbag, her fingers brushed his as she took it from him, and his face felt far too warm for a chilly Glasgow morning.

_Fate was almost chanting ‘Go on’ under her breath, surely this was enough?_

Barney nodded up the street towards the bookshop.

“Can I walk you to work, can let ‘em know what’s happened.”

Belle made him feel ten feet tall when she smiled and took his arm. They walked up the street chatting about the attempted mugging, him constantly checking she was alright and her reassuring him that she was better now.

_They passed a point on the street that sent a small shiver down their spines for no visible reason. That was Fate breathing a deep sigh of relief. Bringing Barney Thomson and Belle French had been successful, now the real fun could begin._


End file.
